Give. Lead. Make a Difference

Archive for July, 2012

Legacy Foundation, Lake County’s leading philanthropic partner, is pleased to announce the promotion of Barry C. Tyler, Jr. to the position of Program Officer.

Mr. Tyler will be responsible for grant program administration; statistical record-keeping and reporting; public relations efforts; providing support for the initiatives of Legacy Foundation board and committee members; and other projects specific to Tyler’s expertise.

“Legacy Foundation is proud to announce the promotion of Barry Tyler to Program Officer,” said Harry J. VandeVelde III, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Barry is a great asset to Legacy, but more importantly he is a great asset to the community in general. Barry loves the region and his involvement in various programs over the past two years exemplifies this. We know that Barry’s passion along with his professionalism is a winning combination for all parties concerned with improving the quality of life in NWI.”

Tyler has been Legacy’s Community Initiatives Officer since September 2010. In this position, he was responsible for the implementation of initiatives related to Legacy Foundation’s primary strategic focus, Project 100%, which champions educational attainment for students in Lake County. He managed the College Readiness Fund Program and the Center for Mentors, promoted enrollment in the state’s 21st Century Scholars program, managed the South Shore Connection Project, and represented Legacy Foundation throughout Lake County.

Now, his work will encompass all areas of Legacy Foundation funding: education, health and human services, environment, animal welfare, and arts and culture.

“In terms of the nonprofit community, I will be able to have a deeper more sophisticated relationship with all organizations looking to utilize the resources that Legacy Foundation offers,” said Tyler.

Tyler noted that the most rewarding part of his job is the ability to work with the variety of organizations that exist in Northwest Indiana, and helping to break down barriers of communication between different groups.

“All of these organizations are working toward the same overarching goal, to improve the quality of life in NWI,” Tyler said. “Getting people to realize that we are all experiencing similar challenges and obstacles lets me create and foster new relationships and collaborations within our community.

Before coming to Legacy Foundation, Tyler was executive director of The First Tee of Hammond, a non-profit organization that teaches life skills to children through golf instruction.

Barry is a lifelong Hammond resident who remains active in the community, particularly with youth programs and coaching. He earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and political science from Wabash College in Crawfordsville.